There’s a lot of attention right now being given to old-guard hanging it up and announcing farewell tours, which is understandable, but I think it’s also a symptom of some of the things holding metal back as an industry. Support the underground, because that’s what metal is nowadays.

I realize a while ago that I essentially do this podcast so other people can be lazy. I go through mountains of sonic turds to find choice new music from around the globe, all so listeners can skip the digging and enjoy the good without (most of) the bad. I’m okay with that though; if I’m anything it’s a humble servant in the metal community.

Every once in a while I end up with an episode that is almost completely non-stop brutal from front to back without even meaning to. Usually I have a set or two in the playlist of ‘breathing room’, ie. some lighter stoner rock and/or prog. This is not one of those times. Have fun.

I’m back from my short holiday respite and hope everyone had a brutally joyous New Year. Despite many a tired and crusty metal blogger claiming 2017 was a boring year for heavy music I personally think it was a solid year, it just didn’t have strong trends in any single genre, and besides, if it sucked how did I find so much great stuff to play for the entire year on this here podcast?

Santa may have the market cornered on bringing presents and Christmas cheer to everyone across the globe, but you can consider me the Santa of heavy fuckin’ metal because I’ve got a digital sack full of the stuff for everyone. And I bring it around a couple times a month, not once a year. Eat it, fat man.